There was a lively trade for store lambs at the first sheep sale of the season at Plumbridge mart on Thursday.

Topping the sale were lambs ready for slaughter with the highest priced pen being six Suffolk cross lambs that had 23.3kg half weights and sold for £84.

A group of 27 Texel and Suffolk cross lambs weighed 21.5kg on the bridge and sold for £78. Another group of six Texel cross lambs weighed 21.5kg and sold for £76. A bigger batch of 20 Suffolk and Texel bred lambs also weighed 21.5kg and sold for £75.

The hammer dropped at £71.50 for 12 Texel cross lambs that weighed 19.5kg. Five Mule ram lambs that had poorer conformation and slightly less condition than most lots on offer weighed 20kg and sold for £64.50.

‘Your eye is your judge’

It was left up to buyers to judge most lots of stores by eye as weights were not taken before lambs entered the ring. The run of lambs on the day were forward stores around 18kg to 20kg half weights that generally made £70 or slightly more.

A batch of 24 ram Texel lambs and a pen of 24 mixed Suffolk lambs sold for £72 and £71 respectively. A batch of 18 Texel cross ewe lambs with potential for breeding stock made a good price at £72.20. The only lambs passed on the day were a group of 30 fairly light Texel cross stores that were making £50.

A pen of ten Suffolk and Texel cross cull ewes made £71 and twelve Greyface and Mule cull ewes sold for £58. Lesser conformed Blackface cull ewes were on offer with two batches of poorly conditioned sorts selling for £38 and £35.

Scroll across the photos above to view some of the lots on offer and the prices at Thursday’s sale.